To Choose The Narrow Path

As modern Christians we have a tendency to dismiss certain spiritual gifts. We see them as surreal and fantastic. Or even out dated. Yet the Bible clearly mentions many amazing gifts. And while some seem magical and impressive, none of them are greater than the other.

1 Corinthians 12:10 'To another the working of miracles, to another prophecy; to another discerning of Spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues...'

Hebrews 2:4 'God also bearing them witness,both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost according to his own will.'

God made an amazing world with many possibilities. His power is limitless, His Spirit is empowering, and His gifts are freely given. The God who created the universe from scratch and devised such detailed creations, certainly has the power to give us psychic ability. Psychic ability seems insignificant and simple compared to His vast creation.

The ability is not evil nor is it sin. It is how you choose to utilize it that determines your status as God centered or in the pursuit of sin. While I can form opinions, deduce educated guesses, and receive Godly incite- I can not determine your place with God. It is not my opinion, the opinion of a Pastor or Priest, or the combined opinion of a congregation of Christians. The opinion you need is God's.

1 Corinthians 4:4 'For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.'

Psalm 50:15 'And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee...'

To truly know what God views of you, first, you must sincerely want the truth. Even if that truth is not what you want it to be.

John 17:17 'Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.'

Second, remember God views the world differently than people do. His concerns are difficult for most people to understand. And what he sees when he looks at us is far different from what we see when we look at each other.

Proverbs 21:2 'Every way a man is right in his own eyes: but the lord pondereth the hearts.'

1 Samuel 16:7 '...For the Lord seeth not as man seeth; For man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.'

Third, to understand what God sees of you and what he wants of you. Go to his word, the Bible, and pray. Ask HIM. Search Him out.

James 1:5 'If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally and without reproach; and it shall be given him.'
Colossians 3:16 'Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom.'

Philippians 4:6 'Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.'

To believe is a wonderful thing. But belief without growth is what leaves you lost in doubt and questions. Questions are good if you pursue the answers.

1 Peter 1:2 'As newborn babies, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby...'

James 5:13 'Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray.'

God knew us before birth. He determined gifts and designated our callings. He watches. He waits for us. And He cherishes every little thing about us because He made us. So if this ability has been with been with you from the beginning and not something you searched for in cults or rituals. It is pretty safe to say it is God-given. He made you.

Ephesians 2:10 'For we are His workmanship...'

But remember, even a gift from God can be perverted.

Romans 1:25 '...who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than Creator...'

Here is where we have to face some hard truths and ask deeper questions. When you do not just know a person's future, what do you do first? Do you first pray or turn to the Tarot cards.
To put it bluntly, because of the Tarot cards I lean toward your assessment. Tarot cards do not rely on God for answers and direction. God becomes a little...ohh, shall we say annoyed when we look for answers outside of His wisdom. Tarot cards, I fear, may even border on idolatry. God does not want to share us or watch us be destroyed by false prophecy.

Exodus 34:14 'For thou shalt worship no other god: For the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.'

Matthew 6:24 'No man can serve two masters: For he will hate one and love the other...'

Tarot cards like many tools used for fortune telling open a path for various spirits to try their hand at manipulating either you or the one whose future you are telling.

1John 4:1 'Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.'

During the times that you cannot read on your own, it is possible that God is preventing it. There may be a heavenly reason that God does not wish them to know. Just as Saul desperate for hope went to a witch to call Samuel from the dead, you could be helping someone grow deeper in their sins.

1 Samuel 28:15-16 '...Saul answered, I am sore distressed; For the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams...then said Samuel, where fore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee and is become thine enemy.'

Of course, we also need to look to some blunt verses that talk of magic and spirits. Your gift may be a great mystery and a wonderful tool (at times at least) but if it is not God focused, it becomes witch craft or at least a dangerous sin. Anything not of God will fall in these categories.

Deuteronomy 18:10-12 'There shall not be found among anyone that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consultant with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer (one who calls up the dead). For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord...'

Leviticus 19:31 'Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord.'

Leviticus 20:6 'And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul...'

The bottom line is this: as Christians, we would love to see everyone living a God focused life and know the salvation of Christ. At times we are rabid; we fervently need to sing praises and explain why we believe so deeply. The need to have people understand burns in us. At times, it is hard to respect God's first gift to all mankind (after life). The gift that is one of his greatest, most difficult to understand, and most frustrating. FREE WILL.

Following God's path is your choice and your choice alone. From the begining, starting with Adam and Eve, He gave us the right to make all our own decisions even if we do not choose Him.
Many of us fail to choose God's path. We reject His guidance. Some of us do it out of a direct decision to believe. Others believe in God but refuse to let go of aspects of their lives. They hang unto their sins and draw away from God. Many are simply afraid. Accepting God's path is difficult. It is not widely accepted unless you pervert it to fit into the culture. The full rewards are unfathomable to our simple minds and the path we walk is a narrow one.

Matthew 7:14 'Because strait is the gate and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.'

We are called to deny ourselves and face trials. As Christ bore His own cross, we are called to bare ours. We are called to make worldly sacrifices for spiritual growth. Sometimes we do not always understand.

Matthew 16:24 '...If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.'

Are you willing to make the sacrifice? The rewards, beside eternal life at God's side, vary as much as God's gifts to us. Are you willing to give up such things as the Tarot cards to follow God's path?

Mark 5:34 'And he (Jesus) said unto her; daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole...'

Where you stand in the eyes of the Christian religion is unsaved- a sinner. Where you stand in the eyes of God- I can not fathom. His conscious and view of things is so vast compared to the little but of incite a person can gleam in a life time. Where you personally stand is your choice. One that I feel this question shows you are struggling with.

If you want to follow the narrow path of God- Go to God. Prayer and celebration. Study the Bible. Replace the Tarot cards with meditation.

James 4:8 'Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.'

If you choose a path other than God, I would encourage you to keep an open mind. Keep asking questions. Keep searching until you receive the insight that leaves no doubt in your heart. Do not let doubt haunt you.

Isaiah 5:20 'Woe unto them that call evil good and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter.'

Creators desire for us
Held in our freewill
Our decision
I ndependently made
Cowering puppets, we are not
Enriched believers we are called to be